Apple CEO Tim Cook congratulates Trump on his second election win

Apple CEO Tim Cook has congratulated Donald Trump after winning the 2024 U.S. presidential election, as he re-lays the groundwork for a close working relationship with the returning president.

Following Tuesday's elections, vote counts have resulted in a win for Donald Trump over Kamala Harris at the ballot box. As President-elect for the second time, Trump is now receiving words of congratulation from world leaders as well as CEOs.

In his own message on Tuesday, Apple CEO Tim Cook took to X and congratulated Trump on his victory. "We look forward to engaging with you and your administration to help make sure the United States continues to lead with and be fueled by ingenuity, innovation, and creativity," wrote Cook.

At the time of publication, Cook's message has been viewed by over 547,000 people since it was posted at 1:14 P.M. Eastern.

A continued conversation

The public congratulation from Cook is a small initial salvo in Cook's attempt to reinvigorate his working relationship with Trump. During the first Trump administration, Cook was known for being close to the President, to a far greater degree than other business leaders.

During the term, Trump praised Cook for his communication skills, calling him a "great executive" due to repeatedly contacting Trump directly over important matters. While others used consultants, Trump was impressed by Cook's personal touch.

The term's famous US-China trade war was potentially damaging to Apple, but Cook led efforts to try and convince Trump from applying tariffs against its products. His influence certainly helped delay the application of tariffs, and did so altogether for iPhone, iPad, and Mac products when Trump signed a limited trade deal.

Outside of the trade war, Cook had visited the White House multiple times and discussed a wide range of topics with the world leader. Even a gaffe where Trump called him "Tim Apple" was taken in his stride.

While Cook certainly had a notable relationship with Trump, his dealings with the U.S. leadership continued beyond Trump. During the Joe Biden term, Cook, his executives, and lobbyists visited the White House at least 87 times as of March 2024, with Cook attending 11 times.

As for the return of Trump, it seems that Cook may have started laying the ground work for the next four years earlier in 2024. It is believed he left WWDC early to meet with Trump alongside up to 80 other CEOs, in preparation for the implementation of potential business-related policies if he won.